2 Broken Serpentine Belts in a Month ('04 Vortech)

04torktech · Nov 24, 2011

Happy thanksgiving everyone. Hope everyone else's day is going better than mine. I put a Vortech on my '04 GT about 10000 miles ago and recently (after installing a FMIC) broke the serpentine belt. I replaced the belt making sure it was routed right and everything correctly in place but less than 500 miles later broke yet another belt. I have never had any issues with belts before recently and was curious if anyone had similar problems. This is not a case of belt slipping but rather it "eats" a few ribs out of now where. I keep an eye on the belt and it always seems OK until it breaks. The car is running 9-10lbs of boost through a Vortech V2 with a CX intercooler and Vortech BOV with other supporting modifications. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Maxpowers · Nov 24, 2011

It must not be lined up right. Double check that and get back to us.

trinity_gt · Nov 24, 2011

Eyeball the alignment of the serpentine belt in situ.

Also, how's the tensioner? Perhaps the belt is slipping unbeknownst to you and is being overheated and damaged that way.

04torktech · Nov 25, 2011

Here is what I think it may be. I think my tensioner is working alright but when it first broke I asked a friend who put these kits in a lot to clarify the instructions (shown below). Vortech clearly specifies that on 2004 models you sandwich a .06" washer in place of the air conditioner silencer bracket however below that there is another mounting hole and the instructions do not say whether to use a washer or not they only say what to do on 1999-2001 models. The first time I did not include a washer there but this last time I put a washer there since I was told there was one suppose to be there as well. Does anyone with an 2002-2004 remember what they did at this step?

GDawg · Nov 25, 2011

Are you buying the cheaper store brand belt ($15) or a good one like Gates or Goodyear (which are the same) ($50)... You can't go cheap on a blower belt. I've shredded my Gates belt after 4 years.

juiced_94gt · Nov 25, 2011

I had the same problem when i replaced the vortech belt with an autozone belt, then I bought a gates HD green belt and it has gone 10k zero issues! its the brand belt you are using for sure. get the green gates belt!

04torktech · Nov 25, 2011

Haha everyone I talk to keeps suggesting that I get a Gate's belt so that is exactly what I am going to do. Does any normal auto store Napa, Pep Boys, Autozone, etc. stock Gate's belts? Better news is that I think I may have found part of the problem. It appears after my first belt broke (I was basically stranded without many tools) that in trying to loosen the tensioner I wound up breaking it (or at least cracking it and it got worse). Today I pulled the whole SC off and noticed that the cast aluminum tensioner had a huge crack in it so I replaced it with one from Napa (keeping my fingers crossed).

To answer my original question does anyone know if a washer is sandwhiched between the bracket and engine cover in the bottom most mounting hole (see my attached picture above). The instructions from Vortech are extremely vague and I think that may be part of the problem. Also once I figure that out I want to double check that my belt is the correct size before I order one from Gates. I am currently running a 108" with a 3.25" pulley what is everyone else running? Hopefully the new belt, correct spacing, and new tensioner should solve my problem for good.

sneaky98gt · Nov 25, 2011

O'Reilly and Napa definitely carry Gates, and I think Autozone does as well (as an option). Advance has Dayco belts, and they are complete garbage.

04torktech · Nov 25, 2011

Christ on a bicycle! Honestly it is impossible to find the part number for a Gate's belt and if you are trying to look online for a belt that isn't stock OEM size forget autozone or pepboys or Napa's website. Anyone know the Gates part's number for a 108" serpentine belt

trinity_gt · Nov 26, 2011

04torktech said:
Christ on a bicycle! Honestly it is impossible to find the part number for a Gate's belt and if you are trying to look online for a belt that isn't stock OEM size forget autozone or pepboys or Napa's website. Anyone know the Gates part's number for a 108" serpentine belt

K061080 Micro-V for a 6-rib pulley system.

2002BLGT · Nov 26, 2011

on my 2002 I do remember having to put a washer between the timing cover and bracket on the bottom farthest left hole , if you bolted the bracket up without anything there you could see a gap between the bracket and the timing cover so it was obvious it needed the washer to space it correctly

04torktech · Nov 26, 2011

Thanks alot guys yea I wound up picking up another belt today, ordered a new tensioner from Ford, and am going to make sure I definitely have the correct spacing. I honestly think it was the broken tensioner that caused my belt to break. From the sounds of it a few of you other guys have Vortech kits what is your set up and what kind of power are you making?

Trinity GT what kind of power are you making with the KB?

trinity_gt · Nov 26, 2011

04torktech said:
Trinity GT what kind of power are you making with the KB?

Right around 400 at the wheels with a very conservative KB tune.

rconaway · Dec 8, 2011

I had the same problem and found out it was becuase of alignment. The mechanic who worked on the car also put in a washer behind the tensioner belt but we found that it misaligned it. Removed the washer, no more problem.

2 Broken Serpentine Belts in a Month ('04 Vortech)

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